Unintentionally biting one’s own tongue can provide among the worst feelings and sensations ever; especially the taste of blood it leaves in mouth can make it much more disturbing. The taste has some feel of metal primarily since our blood contains iron as the essential hemoglobin aspect. Some people feel this taste after little injuries that goes away with time but others may feel everything the time which might makes it challenging to taste the food properly. If left untreated, it might lead to the loss of affected individual’s appetite and total health due to decreasing interest in consuming.
What Causes Taste of Blood in My Mouth
What Causes Taste of Blood in Mouth?
There are a number of physiological as well as pathological factors that may cause taste of blood in your mouth, or metal taste in mouth, these include:
1. Bleeding Gums
Gums bleed when your oral health is improper. In all such cases, the bacteria participates in the mouth and grows frantically that irritates gums in the mouth. The gums get irritated and bleed; this condition is referred to as Gingivitis. Gums can likewise bleed due to infected tooth. Its symptoms include tooth pain, pain in gums and bad smell while breathing.
It is highly suggested to keep optimum oral hygiene by brushing the teeth regularly. In addition, also tidy your tongue with the assistance of a tongue scraper to keep better hygiene in the mouth. You might likewise consult your dental professional if you have some dental concerns. Drink approx. 8 glasses of water to keep your body well- hydrated.
2. Nasal Congestion
Taste and smell are two highly associated senses. That is why if you are having a stuffy nose, flu, sinus issue, strep throat and you are unable to smell what you are eating, then there is a possibility that you might feel unusual taste in the mouth, consisting of metallic taste which may makes you believe there is a taste of blood in mouth.
Also read: Burning Inside Nose
3. Side Effect/Reaction of Medications
Some medicines likewise leave metal like taste in the mouth due to presence of iron in the chemical formula. This does nevertheless go away as soon as you stop taking the drug. Most typical pharmacological preparations include antibiotics, vitamin tablets and anti-hypertensive drugs, and so on. You may likewise feel blood like taste in the mouth if you underwent a significant surgery (due to use of anesthesia for the surgery).
Other medications that cause metal or blood like taste in mouth are broadly classified under:
- Antifungal medications
- Antihistamines
- Chemotherapy
- Diuretics
- Steroids
- Nicotine
If you believe that the blood or metal taste in mouth is because of any medication then you can confirm via side effects noted on the label of the drug bundle.
4. Dryness
Dryness is another possible cause that might cause a taste of blood in mouth. Saliva in fact helps you to recognize the taste of food but when it dries out (due to dehydration, breathing by mouth, severe asthma or some drugs), your oral cavity loses its capability to sense the taste.
5. Other Reasons
- Some other possible medical conditions are stones in kidney, diabetes (or anti-diabetics), disease like cancer and heart problem. An injury in head or nose can also reduce your capability to taste food and might develop taste of blood in mouth.
- These odd tastes might likewise be due to issue in taste control nerves. This condition is called dysgeusia which is responsible for making alterations in taste.
- You may also face alterations in taste sense if you are in early stages of pregnancy.
- Exposure or inhaling of chemicals like lead or mercury can likewise produce metal taste in your mouth.
- Stress and anxiety can be another possible cause for it. It can be due to a battle or flight response but there are no clear medical justifications for it; even there is no activation of taste buds.
What About Taste of Blood in Mouth After Exercise?
Hardcore physical training or vigorous workout can also cause the blood taste in the mouth due to asthma attack or sinus blockage. If you do not have any of these breathing problems then it could be due to the high pressure of blood into the lungs or the bronchial tree through membranous tissue. This is most often observed when your body is pressed in an anaerobic state threshold and there is no support from the cardiopulmonary apparatus. This is the reason professional athletes face this concern; it has definitely no harmful effects however can limit your exercise to a certain frequency.
Researches are still uncertain why the occasional and typical runners face similar symptoms as that of the aggressive professional athletes. If you are faced with any of these symptoms; then it is extremely suggested to avoid extreme effort without consulting your physician.
Also read: Bad Taste in Mouth
Taste of Blood in Mouth: What to Do?
There are some suggested treatments to get rid of the taste of blood from the mouth (metallic taste in mouth). These consist of:
- Keep a rigorous examine your oral hygiene. Brush a minimum of 2 times a day followed by a mouthwash. You can likewise use water with a pinch of salt in it to clean your mouth and avoid it from oral infections.
- Keep an examine your stomach and total food consumption. If you have chronic constipation or other long term stomach issues, the chances of establishing taste of blood/ metal in mouth increases considerably. Ensure to include healthy nutrients and prevent processed food. Likewise it is strongly suggested to add vinegar and citrus juices in your diet.
- Use crockery and utensils made of plastic or bone china rather of steel to minimize the direct exposure to metals.
- If you are facing this problem due to medications, speak with a primary care provider relating to a different prescription or alternative pharmacological choices. Talk with your doctor if the taste doesn’t go away even after the prescription ends.
- Include cloves and cinnamon in your meals as a temporary option. Simply keep it in your mouth instead of chewing whenever you feel that stingy odor in your mouth. They just do not treat the problem of odor however also fix the problems related to your gums.
